Amid high fuel prices, calls for speed limits are growing louder in political Berlin. Katharina Dröge, the Greens’ parliamentary group chair, told the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition) that a speed limit is “long overdue and needs to happen now”. She argued that citizens need relief and that “we also have to save energy”. Dröge stressed that “Germany is facing one of the toughest energy crises in decades, and the federal government is barely doing anything”.
The left-wing faction has also put forward a demand for speed restrictions. Agnes Conrad, spokeswoman for sustainable automotive policy, told the newspaper that The Left demands a general speed limit of 120 km/h on highways. Conrad commented that “the unrestrained speeding allowed on German highways is outdated”. She added that “a lower speed reduces the risk of accidents, saves fuel, and protects the climate”.
Earlier, in March, the International Energy Agency suggested ten measures to mitigate the impact of oil shocks on households and businesses. Among the IEA’s recommendations are increased remote working, lower speed limits, promoting public transport and car-sharing, and reducing business air traffic.